Disagreement of Rehabilitation Adherence Perceptions Among Athletic Trainers and Injured Collegiate Athletes

Abstract

Collegiate athletic trainers continue to report adherence to physical rehabilitation programs to be a problem in collegiate athletics, as rehabilitation adherence among collegiate athletes can range between 40% and 90%. Inconsistent appropriate adherence to these programs may limit patients’ ability to successfully recover from their sports injuries. This study sought to understand if differences in perception of rehabilitation adherence existed between athletic trainers and collegiate athletes. A nonsignificant fair inverse correlation was found between the athletic trainer perceptions and patient self-perceptions of rehabilitation adherence after an examination of 19 separate physical rehabilitation programs led by 5 collegiate athletic trainers (R = −.48, p = .06). Given the found practitioner–patient disconnect, collegiate athletic trainers should consider further encouraging patient involvement within their rehabilitation programs through various tactics such as the use of patient-rated outcomes or conversations that minimize patient distress.